Alyssa and Brian

How We Met

The saying “timing is everything” couldn’t be more true with Brian and I. We seemed to always be near by one another and we crossed paths more then once but didn’t officially meet until 5 years later. So here is how our story begins, Unbeknownst to us both in 2010, we lived in the same condo building just at different places in our lives.

I started dancing for the NBA team, The Charlotte Bobcats, who is now the Charlotte Hornets. Brian was a season ticket holder for 3 years and sat directly behind me on the court. Now it makes sense that every now and then an accidental tap to the back or split beverage on the court was to try and get my attention. Kidding, but in all honesty every time he was there he caught my eye regardless. That smile of his lit up the arena! I never knew his name or anything about him so I just played it off and focused on the games. I think it was my T-shirt toss skills that got his attention because on January 5, 2013 after the game he waited outside the arena entrance to talk to me. I was so tired, I immediately left and he missed his chance to introduce himself. So later on that night he sent me a Facebook message “Hey, not sure if you’re single or not but would love to grab dinner with you sometime. I tried to ask in person but you disappeared before I could.” I never saw his message or responded. – Ouch, Sorry Babe! So now fast forward NYE, I was now recently single and had an event with the Hornets in the city, One of my bridesmaids, Meg, (Oh yeah, if you’re reading this… Will you be one of my Bridesmaid? Say yes! … or this could be embarrassing!) She invited me to meet up with her after my event because one of her guy friends had a table and was hosting the NYE party..I wasn’t in the mood to go out but she convinced me to come so I grabbed an old sequin dress out my closet, threw on some heels and met up with the girls at the hotel to pregame. Being girls, we obviously had to take a photo.

Once posted on social media she gets a text immediately from her guy friend. “Isn’t that Alyssa in the middle?” She says “Yes” and then shortly after walks in this handsome man in red pants, my mouth almost dropped … it was the guy I had always seen but never knew his name.. Come to find out, he was one of Meg’s Best friend and who we were meeting up with. So without a doubt, timing is everything and our love story was working behind the scenes just to fall in to place at the right time. Oh and in case you were wondering. No, I didn’t get my midnight kiss that year but now I get to kiss him every NYE for the rest of my life!

How He Asked

Brian and I love country music, so we drove down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the 4 day Carolina Country Music Festival. It’s now Sunday, the last day of the festival and Cole Swindell and Florida Georgia Line were left to perform. I was super excited about Cole Swindell and begged Brian if we could get there early to grab a great spot! We walk inside and my friend Jess hands out Meet & Greets for Cole Swindell to everyone but Brian. I didn’t feel right going without him but who wouldn’t want to meet one of their favorite performers… So the girls and I go meet Cole. (Now knowing, this was all a distraction for me to get away so he could get the ring.)

After I run back to Brian to tell him all about it and how I was so cheesy and high fived Cole Swindell. Laughing, he then suggest we should go grab a drink and say hey to some of our other friends over in the Super VIP area. When we get there we run into the Host of the entire Festival, Big Sexy, he says “Congrats, You guys won the Ultimate VIP Experience and now get to come backstage while Cole is performing” It didn’t seem to out of line because people were hanging out backstage. I just thought we were really lucky! I couldn’t believe it! So now we are both backstage, I’m just dancing to my own beat not paying any attention to what is being said. Brian says “Babe, they called us on stage!” I immediately look at him with confused eyes and say “um, what?” He goes I don’t know we won something right, then the host says “My friends are here visiting from Charlotte, NC and they have won the ultimate VIP experience. So I need you two to come out here for a minute?” as he began waving us out to the main stage.. My feet didn’t move. Brian takes my hand and says “it’s okay, come on”

… At this point I am completely confused.. thinking to myself I am not about to sing in-front of all these people. I know he is not singing. What is going on.. Is Cole going to sing and we slow dance up here… (A girls Bachelorette Fan dream come true, right?) Now we are in the middle of the stage and the Host says “Lets make this more memorable, what do you say?” as he hands Brian the microphone. Brain says “I Hope too” with a huge smile and it was that very moment every person in the crowd disappeared and it hit me what was happening!

Tears just filled my eyes waiting for him to talk. Brian says “I didn’t know what true love was until I met you and all I want to ask is … Will you make me the happiest man of my life?” as he gets down on one knee and opens up a pretty little box!

Of course after saying YES to the man of my dreams everyone comes back into focus and it was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen with thousands and thousands of people cheering and clapping for us!